Article of footwear with gathered vamp member



Jan. 2, 1951 1.. P. CARPENTER 2,535,723

, ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH GATHERED VAMP MEMBER Filed Jan. 29, 1947 Lewis .F'fiaepezzisa Patented Jan. 2, 1951 ii 1:

ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR 'WITH GATHERED VAMP MEMBER Lewis P. Carpenter, Scituate, Mass., assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 29, 1947, Serial No. 725,109

3 Claims.

This invention relate to an article of footwear, and particularly to a play shoe or slipper of simple construction having a moccasin-like vamp.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide an article of footwear, such as a play shoe or a slipper, having a simple construction; to provide anarticle which may be worn comfortably wherein the vamp and quarter of the shoe may be adjusted to fit closely about the foot or to fit loosely about the foot as desired; to make an article which protects the wearers foot without confining it in an enclosed assembly; and to make such an article in a simple and economical manner to give a shoe of neat and pleasing appearance.

Foot comfort i a prime requisite in the construction of play shoes or slippers. Such comfort is predicated on a number of factors, including protection for the plantar surface of the foot; ease in keeping the shoe in a form-fitting condition about the foot; ease of donning and doflfing without slippage of the shoe on the foot while being worn; adjustability of the shoe upper; and means for allowing the foot to breathe.

The shoe must be of simple construction so that a minimum number of operations are required in making it. Th component parts of the shoe must be of such shape that they can be easily prepared and are economical a to materials. The finished assembly, furthermore, must present a neat and pleasing appearance.

By means of this invention an article of footwear such as a play shoe or slipper is simply and economically constructed in an assembly possessing the necessary requisites for foot comfort.

The article comprises a moccasin-like vamp having a lacing which is detachably engaged by the forward portion of the quarter, whereby the article is held in a foot-fitting assembly. The invention is best understood by reference to a preferred embodiment as illustrated by the accompanying drawings of which:

,Fig.'1 is a perspective view of the vamp member used in the construction of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the quarter member which'has been prepared as the next step in the construction of the shoe;

Fig. '3 is a perspective view of the vamp and quarter members attached to an insole to form a shoe-like assembly; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the finished assembly illustrating the manner in which th shoe is kept in a form-fitting condition.

Inconstructing a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated by the drawings, an elongated'trapezoidal' vamp member ID is cut preferably from a sheet of duck fabric, although leather or other suitably flexible material may be used. The marginal regions I I, ll adjacent to the nonparallel ends l2, 12 of the member are folded back and stitched at l3 to form reinforced edges. .A plurality of spaced openings l4, M are cut in the vamp member It] in the longitudinal, marginal region adjacent the shorter of the two parallel edges 15 thereof. Through these spaced openings l4, i4 is threaded a drawstring lacing iii of sub stantially greater length than the vamp member III with the free ends of the lacing extending beyond the ends of the vamp member.

In the next operation, a pair of quarter portions I1, I! are cut from'a sheet of duck fabric; although, as in the case of the vamp member, other suitable materials such as leather may be used. The quarter portions ll, I! are stitched together at I8 to form a generally Hshaped quarter member with the legs [9, I9 being slanted upwardly away from each other. The circumferential margin 20 of the quarter member I! is folded back and stitched down in a folded, reinforced edge 22. Eyelets 23, 23 are inserted in the quarter member I1 near the top of each generally vertically-extending leg IQ of the member.

A suitably shaped insole member 24 is provided of leather, fabric or other suitable material. The lower ends 25, 25 of the quarter member legs l9, l9 are folded under the opposite sides 26 and 21 of the heel portion 28 of the insole member 24 so as to extend over the marginal region 29 of the lower face 30 of the insole 24. Similarly, the longer of the two parallel edges 3| of the vamp member 10 is folded under the toe portion 32 of the insole 24 over the marginal region 29 of the lower face 30 of the insole 24. The vamp and quarter members are then joined to the insole by a line of stitching 33 in the marginal region 29 to give a shoe-like assembly as shown in Fig. 3. In this assembly the cross member 34 of the generally H -shaped quarter member l8 forms a strap-v like heel-encircling portion 34 which terminates forwardly in the forwardly-inclined legs [9, I9 of the quarter I8 which extend upwardly so as to overlie the instep of a wearers foot. In this con-v dition, the eyelets in the quarter member are adapted to releasably engage the free ends of the lacing with the vamp member pulled inwardly over the insole.

A layer of cement 35 is spread over the lower face 30 of the insole 24 and a platform-type outsole 36 of suitabl shape and material is positioned on the lower face of the insole and held in position by the cement, or the outsole may be secured by other suitable means. With the attachment of the outsole the shoe is finished and ready for wear.

When the shoe is donned, as shown in Fig. 4, the free ends 31, 31 of the lacing it are crossed over the foot and inserted through the eyelets 23, 23 in the quarter member l8 so that the free end of the lacing from the inner end of the vamp passes through the eyelet in the leg on the outer side of the; foot; and vice-versa. The lacing then be pulled as tightlyas desired and tied. This" pulls the upper edge of the vamp l inwardly so as to enclose a forward portion of the foot and holds the quarter member against the. foot. form-fitting assembly, which may be adjusted; asdesired and which does not slip on the foot in walking. The sole portion protects the p anta r surface of the foot, while the discontinuousupper portion formed by the vamp and the quarter member is open enough to; allow the; foot.v to breathe.

The upper portion comprising vamp and quarter members may be of any flexible material of 'whi'chthe various textiles and soft leather are especially suitable. The insole and outsoie similarly may be of any suitabie material. such as leather or rubber, and the means of attaching the vamp and quarter maybe variedto include cementing and similar means, as Wellas stitching asdescribed: inthepreferred embodiment. Other similar variations and modifications may beeff'ected within thescope of the invention; such as other fastening means onthe legs ofthequa-rten member, and using a one-piece quarter member.

article of footwear constructed in accordance with this invention is easilydonned and doffed, may be adjusted tofit ciosely or loosely about the foot as desired. can be worn Without slippage on the foot. while walking, provides-protection for theplantarsurface of the foot, and aliows' the foot to breathe. The method of" making the arti'cie involves a minimum number of simple operations, and the shape' ofi the come ponent partsis such as-to be -economicalz of match ria l's. Thefini'shedtarticl'e is of neat-and pleasing appearance.

The invention has: been described indetaii with reference to certain preferred embodiments: and a few pref-erred variations and modifications: thereof, but it: will be understood! that. other variations and modifications may be efi ected in the method and the: article of footwear without; departing from the; spirit: and; scope. of; thein, vention: as defined the appended claims.

I claim? 1 an article of footwear comprising a sale; a. narrow elongated flexible continuous: closed vamp. memher of substantially uniform width havinglower longitudinal margin securedto said sole around the marginal extent of the toe portions thereof from substantially the frontend: of the shank portion of the sole at one side thereof" to substantially the front endof the shank at the opposite side of the sole and having its rear ends folded inwardly and having a plurality ofspaced openings throughout the extent of theupper longitudinal' margin of said member including said folded rear. ends, a draw-string lacing associated soiely with said vamp member threaded. through said openings along the upper margin of said" vamp member parallel to said margin with the free. ends of the. lacing extending in diagonally crossed relationship rearwardly beyond the. ends. of. the vamp. member, and a quarter member. secured to said. sole. terminating in. forwardly and; transversely extending instep -ov.erlying en ;is.};1av. .v ing engaging means for releasably engaging the. fnea-en-ds of. said lacing. to gather the upper margin of said vamp member and said. ends. of: the quarter member inwardly.

2. An article of footwear comprising a sole, a narrow elongated; flexible contimlousclcsed vamp member of substantially uniform width having its lower longitudinal margin secured to said sole around the marginal extent of the toe portion thereof. from substantially the front end of the shank: portion of the sole at one side thereof to substantially the front end of the shank at the opposite side of the sole and having its rear ends folded inwardly to form a reinforced rear margin extending upwardly and forwardly and havin raipluralityofispaced openings throughout the extent of the upper longitudinal margin of said member including said folded rear ends, a drawstring lacing associated; solely with said vamp member threadedthrough saidopeningsalong the upper-margin at said: vamp. parallels; to. said margin with: the free: ends: on the: lacing; extending: in diagonally crossed; nelati'onship rearweirdly beyond the: ends: of? the: vamm member; and a quarter secured to: said sole ten m-inating; inv forwardiy and transversely extend? i-ng inst'epsoverlying ends having: eyelets forml'easably engaging: thefree ends at said: lacing; ta"

.- gather the. upper or said. vamp:- member and said: ends of the quarter member inwardlg.

3. An article of footwear comprising a. solo member incmding an insola and an outsolej. a; narrow el'ongated flexible: continuous; closed vamp; member of substantially uniform widtlr. its lower longitudinal. margin secured. between said insoleand 011178018. arotmch the: marginai ex.- tent of theitoeiportinn thereofi finom: substantial-13? the front. end of; the. shank: mention of. said sole: member at. one side: thereof. to.- substantially the: front end of theshank at; theoppositesida of: the sole member and; having its? rear ends folded in wardiy' upon themselves: to; form a: reinforced: roan marginextending? upwardly forwardly; a draw-string associated: solely" with; said; vamp member slidably'engagexi airing: the: upper margin.- of said vamp: member: parallel to; said margin. andpassing through openings. in said reinforced rear margins with the fazeez ends. of said. draiwstring. extending in diagonaliy-cxossedwrelationship marwardly beyond the ends of the; itamnmembem and. a quarter nma'mher. having its: lower margin secured; between saidi hassle: and outsola terminate ing: in forwardly and; transversely extending ins step-overlying ends. having engaging meansfor. releasably engagingzthe. free; ends; of said: drawstring to gather thfif'llillileli margin of, saidvamp member and. said. ends: of the: quarter member inwardly.

REFERENQE'S CITED The t'iollowing: references are. of record, in the file of? this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date D. 35,490 Hatheway ,Dec. 24,; 190-11 Di. 1:31,:318- Lev-in m Feb. 1 942 1.2919581 Lund Jan-.. 21, 19.19 2,146,805 Engel .r Feb; 14,1939 23251522. Slater ,Aug; L7, 1943 2,37%,1119- Amenta. May 29-; 19.4.5

PATENTS Number Country Date 562,129, Germany .v Oct .21, 1332 820,102- France 7%..-- July- 19,1932. 

